The gloves came off Friday in the fight for the Anne Arundel County executive's seat.

Campaign literature for Democrat Joanna Conti is reminding voters about the sexual harassment accusations against incumbent Republican John Leopold.

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Conti, who is originally from Colorado, is a businesswoman and mother of four. She said she did it as part of her effort to restore ethics and integrity to the office.

WBAL-TV 11 News reporter David Collins asked her Friday if she thought the ad was over the top.

"The voters need to decide for themselves if they want to take the risk of re-electing a county executive who's been repeatedly accused of mistreating women and creating a hostile work environment for women. I think not," she said.

The mailer lists Leopold's legal troubles with women. He's currently the target of a $10 million lawsuit.

In response to it, Leopold launched into a long list of achievements during his tenure in office, then said he's running a positive campaign.

"We have a firm record because I have a firm record. I stick to the positive," he said.

"When a candidate has no plan, no record and no experience, all they can do is wallow around in the mud," said Leopold's spokesman, Dave Abrams.

So far, there have been no criminal charges filed against Leopold -- only accusations. But Conti said that's enough for her.

"When you see so many women coming forward and claiming the same thing, you have to believe that where there's smoke, there's fire," she said.

Although the accusations have been well-publicized, a recent Gonzales poll found that Leopold has a commanding lead over his opponent, with 57 percent of voters in favor of him and only 28 percent in favor of Conti.

Conti said the poll undersampled women and Democrats. She cited two others that indicate the race is much closer.

"This is a very, very winnable race," she said.

Conti's plan for the county includes $90 million in budget cuts and overhauling the inspections and permits departments. Her campaign literature addresses education, cleaning up the bay and improving public safety.

Leopold is touting his accomplishments.

"We created a new STEM program at our community college to help provide the human infrastructure to fill the jobs coming with the Base Realignment and Closure program and the cyber command. We've kept our commitment not to increase property or income taxes," Leopold said.

No court date has been set regarding the civil lawsuit against Leopold.

Meanwhile, according to the Annapolis Capitol newspaper, Leopold's campaign is sending out negative fliers, too, one of which criticizes Conti as being the illegal alien poster girl during her 2004 bid for Congress when she lived in Colorado.